For women unhappy with the shape of their chest, a breast lift often becomes the best long term option to restore a woman’s profile to its original shape. Drooping or sagging can happen for a variety of reasons, including pregnancy, genetic predisposition or the natural aging process. As the breasts start to hang, they may also loose substance and look deflated-thus causing embarrassment and insecurity.
Fortunately, a breast lift is a great way to firm and reshape a sagging chest with or without the use of implants. This procedure can also be used to adjust and resize the nipples and areola (the skin around the nipple) should they point down or look out of place.
* Best Candidates For Surgery
Women who experience drooping and sagging as result of childbirth, breastfeeding or the natural aging process are excellent candidates for the surgery. However, women that have naturally smaller breasts to begin with will see better long term results than larger women, as the procedure will not stop the effects of gravity in the future.
To help make the procedure last longer for women with extremely large busts or significant flattening, a doctor may suggest combining the traditional procedure with liposuction to remove excess tissue, or the insertion of implants. The addition of implants too large, however, will also cause eventual sagging to eventually after surgery.
* How The Surgery Is Performed
Depending on the shape and size of the chest, the cosmetic surgeon will either use an “inverted T” incision or a lolly pop incision to enter the region. The inverted T incision actually goes around the areola, continues vertically down to the bottom of the breast and horizontally along the fold. The lolly pop incision is essentially the same except that it does not have the horizontal cut along the bottom.
From there the surgeon will remove excess breast skin, reshape existing tissue and move the areola and nipple up higher if necessary. Finally, the remaining skin that was above the areola will be brought down, reshaped and sutured to create firmer and perkier busts than what existed prior to the surgery.
Soreness, bruising and stiffness can be expected for the first few weeks after surgery. This can be controlled, however, with medication. A support bra is usually required for the first few days, as recommended by the physician. Patients generally return to work and resume light activities after a week or so.
* Will My Procedure Be Covered By Insurance?
These procedures are typically considered cosmetic and therefore not covered by insurance. However, there are a few exceptions for patients who are undergoing reconstructive surgery following a mastectomy where the remaining breast hangs well below the new implant. But to be sure, a woman should always check with her health insurance company before undergoing cosmetic surgery in this area.
* How Do I Get Started?
Getting started with this surgery simply requires contacting a board certified plastic surgeon to set up a consultation. After that, your doctor will determine whether or not you are truly a candidate for the procedure and discuss a specific game plan to proceed further. But essentially, a phone call is all it takes to get started.
